"I keep careful records of the player's progress in the game. It's a weird picture. Pet increases the levels with a different amount of experience. A pet needs less experience to get a new level. The pet quickly gains more experience and even pa.s.ses the master on 3 levels! But then it doesn't grow in levels."

"I see," said John. "We're supposed to be fighting ourselves, not fighting our pets. I remember there are stories like that. You should have sat there in big robots and fought. Victory depends on the quality of the robot. Dan, you didn't say the main thing! Your cat isn't growing in level. But it eats experience?"

"Experience is divided into two," Dan sighed. "Having a pet is profitable, but you have to pay for your safety. But don't forget, you can always take your pet out of the game! That's when the player gets all the experience."

"Thank you for the information, Dan. We'll be taming our wolves soon. It's good to know they'll be joining us soon," added Nick.

"You already tamed them, didn't you?"

"To finally tame our little werewolves, we need to fight them. Prove in the battle that we are worthy to be masters."

"You don't think my help will come in handy in your fight. I can stand guard as an ex-inquisitor. I couldn't pa.s.s the transformation, but my old skills are with me. Do you remember what kind of creature a werewolf can be?"

"John and I remember everything. But this is our own business. If I can't do this, then I'll die. Then we'll open the season for a new werewolf hunt," said Nick with a sad smile.

"We can do this, brother. They're little werewolves. Level ten. We're going to give them a good fight!"

John's words were easy to believe. The guys were level 19, they took good care of developing their skills. Dan winked at Alexander:

"You've always been silent and just laughed at Gandalf's desire for a bear in his pets. Believe me, a bear in allies would be a great help to a warrior."

"An ordinary bear. No cursed bears. It's attractive. Recon! Will you help me solve this problem?"

"Of course, Alexander, it's not even up for discussion. John, I remember a lair a few miles from the castle. There seems to be a hint of a pup there."

"Nick, you mean that lair the devil has on his horns? It is 12 miles to go. The border of our land," said John.

"Calm down, boys, I'm not demanding a pet right now. We have enough tasks," said Alexander.

"No, warrior. This is a priority. Reinforcing every man in the clan is our common cause. Tomorrow we're all busy and we're not going. But we have to hurry. Don't you forget, Alexander? We don't know what age to tame a calf from. We can't lose the chance. But have you decided positively about the bear in the pets?"

"The bear suits me. I have to work at the point of attack. Bear is good," said the warrior with a smile.

After this conversation, John and Alexander went to recon the ruins of an ancient city. Dan put the name on their overall map. The city was called Galatea.

Nick talked to Turin about starting work in the mine. The dwarf said it was really a delicate matter. There are a lot of options for solving the problem. But anyway, the dwarf insists his race is involved.

The guys found out that in the 'Anyhorr' world, as in all fantasy worlds, dwarves act as chief bankers and mining specialists.

People are simply incapable of working with rare rocks like Adran. They don't even notice them. The locals had their skills in the game. And they differed in quality. A human blacksmith could never repeat a dwarf blacksmith's work.

It was the cause of longstanding conflicts between races. Dwarves were disliked for many reasons. The need to entrust their wealth to these short men was irritating to the rich. Jealousy for the specifics of gnomes' skill did its job. The question of mining skills was very painful. People worked as hard as they could. They pierced the mines, they devastated the mine. And then the dwarves would buy an 'empty mine' and use their capabilities. They would process the 'empty rock' and get rare and unattainable results for people. There was much to dislike about dwarves.

The guys were calm about local sympathy and antipathy between races. They found these problems ridiculous and unimportant. Players had their problems. Dan, as inquisitor, was disliked by the whole world. Now he has become a new unknown creature of an unknown race, and no one knew what kind of problems the clan could face.

But they decided one thing for sure, and the decision was aggressive and tough.

They will play this game with pleasure. They'll stand to the death for every member of the clan.

Alexander shook his head when he found out that the scouts didn't care about the former leader's opinion and went to collect levels in the cemetery.

But now the warrior had a different perspective on development. He quickly found common ground with John, and they blocked all the ways for intruders to enter the castle.

The castle was quite a strong fortification and had a system of warning of enemy invasion. John shook his head unhappily and cursed out loud those thieves and murderers he met in town:

"There are very strong masters there. Thieves in this world can crack any stas.h.!.+ We need to take serious care of our treasure."

"We have such d.a.m.n treasures in the stash that no normal thief would dare deal with them," said Dan.

"You don't know any local specialists, Dan," smiled John.

Nick nodded and said there are many dangerous creatures and people in town.

The issue of protecting one's own interests required a quick decision. The mine development question required a quick solution. The cla.s.s transformation issue needed a quick solution.

They knew they had no time to waste. But they decided to hurry slowly and carefully.

Nick and Dan were sorting the trophies. Nick couldn't see all the information on the artifacts. Dan didn't even have a rough idea of the value of the items.

Nick was happy. Mining would make them more profitable. He told Dan about his search in town.

Nick was primarily interested in the illegal side of the local society. One day a Cop is forever a Cop! He felt he was doing the right thing. He was born for this life.

Getting to meet the leaders.h.i.+p of the Killer Guild was a tough case. Nick immediately made it clear to these people and non-humans that he knew exactly who he was dealing with. Moral and ethical questions do not worry about the scout. He's willing to accept the rules of the game. He's not a fighter against crime, he's a fighter against monsters. Nick understood that the other players couldn't quickly make contact with legal criminals. Studying in the killer guild was worth a lot of money.

Nick never understood what happened to him. He managed to convince the guild heads that he could be given a chance. The guild was interested in working with him. When Nick changed his status and became head of the Order of the Hunters, the Guild admitted they were interested in this man.

He told Dan:

"The three of us have brought the clan's balance to a minimum level of Glory. We've had enough of this. We don't need to make any noise or show our success to other players. We can't sell all our booty to ordinary merchants and the aristocracy. I suggest we make our first major deal with the Killer Guild. The guild has its own channel to sell the merchandise. You understand our interest in this," said Nick.

"I understand perfectly well. You know, I could really use my secret way into town. There's an unknown ahead and this unknown stinks very badly. No one knows what I might need in town. But I need to be able to get there quietly and discreetly," agreed Dan.

"I'm a little uncomfortable that we can't be truthful and honest with the others," Nick sighed. "There are some good guys left. And Michael's not really an a.s.s. I'm worried about them."

"I'm not worried about them at all."

"Look at this!"

Nick was holding a dagger and admiring its beauty and the obvious danger of a weapon.

"Yeah, I got that from the boss," smiled at Dan. "Vampires are terrible opponents. There was a level 17 bloodsucker! He had amazing skills. I already described my fight in the clan chronicle. Make sure you get to know the skills of a true vampire master! But 'Autodafe' is an amazing skill. Along with the rest of my skills, I did it. I even called p.u.s.s.y! She was sitting on the sidelines. I was hoping for new achievement and I hoped that the cat would have an achievement, too. 'p.u.s.s.y the Vampire Slayer'! Sounds great."

Nick laughed. He looked carefully at the dagger. Then he smiled.

"Did you know that dagger in ancient times belonged to the head of the Radiad vampire clan?"

"And what's the big deal?"

"Vampires live long. This clan still exists now. And I have some good news for you. The bodyguard of the head of the Killer Guild is a vampire. Vampires are the best killers in the world. And they're great bodyguards. Even the aristocrats use vampires. But serving people for a real vampire isn't respectable. It's not a worthy cause. One day, the Radiad vampire clan expelled one of the bloodsuckers... He grew up, learned and became the bodyguard of the Head of the Killer Guild. We can sell him that dagger! It will always be an opportunity for him to take revenge on the clan that expelled him. We'll get the money and a little piece of respect."

"And future problems with the vampire clan," grinned Dan.

"And future problems with other problems on our heads. You're right. It's a big question. We'll decide at the clan council. But it's a good idea, right?"

"It's a very promising idea. How much can it cost?"

"1,000 crowns at least. That's the starting price for a very precious artifact in this world."

"1,000 gold coins! I looted the grave well," Dan whispered quietly.

"You came out of the accident well. I read your cla.s.s description. A Sinner. Sounds unpleasant. But it's just a word. I think you got more than you lost. The Game makes you the Dark Paladin."

"We don't know what opportunities the transformation of the Inquisitor cla.s.s has given. Initial skills are good. There could have been huge bonuses! I'm sure we're not correctly working with our points of Glory. We are in a hurry and spend them on skills development. Maybe we're making a mistake."

"We've already had a big piece of the pie. I know what you're thinking. But we don't need to be famous. We need popularity even less."

Nick looked at the entrance to the room and whispered:

"I'll tell you a secret. Still, it's hard to have secrets. But I ask you not to tell John and Alexander about it. We have two spies among city players."

Dan smiled and didn't understand the scout's behavior.

"But why are you telling me this? It's a question in John's hands, he's your very first partner."

"I trust him completely. And I'm sure he has secrets from me. It seems to me. That it's a good thing. The important thing is that we don't hurt our clan."

"You've got me confused, and I don't understand anything. But I won't tell the others about your secret agents. What is it?"

"They're not just agents! They're women."

Dan's frozen. Then he frowned and said he didn't like the idea of involving women in their lives. He started putting together one big bunch of arguments about the danger of their existence and the argument that its men who should protect women.

Nick listened to him carefully and objected:

"I'm not going to tell you about the importance of emanc.i.p.ation and the other nuances of feminism. But I do remember girls who ate girls like you for lunch. Believe me. Women are strong and reliable partners. I know it's going to be hard for us to get along with women players. But it just so happens. I've seen almost every player in town. I'm not interested in people like Valerie. Michael's not going to give us anybody. Two girls looked very promising. The look of snakes, but a pure heart. I gave them a chance to earn our trust. I told them about the perspective. Dan. There's a girl already spoiling with alchemy! The future magician. But she has no fantasies or other fabulous nonsense in her head. Gandalf is about to hang a weight around Michael's neck. It costs a lot more to train an independent wizard than to train an independent killer. They won't work for the whole clan to develop one player. They have a quiet life in their plans. The careful performance of quests and gaining reputation is the way their clan is going. But they're all people who weren't born to live a normal, quiet life. If Michael imagined our land to be an opportunity for safari, then he's wrong."

Dan was in agreement with those words. He didn't know all the subtleties of city life, but they don't need tourists at the castle. He asked Nick:

"What are their wishes? Did they get cla.s.ses yet?"

"In this game, you can get cla.s.s in the guild. Or, in a special case, how lucky we are to find a cla.s.s selection room. When you receive and perform a special quest, you can get a special cla.s.s. A magician and an archer. They won't get into the carnage, but they'll be a great support group."

"I don't argue about the archer. But a magician in a support group requires a special mindset. It doesn't matter. I don't mind the women in our company. I hope they're not unhappy with me being around."

"Don't be ridiculous, Dan. You just haven't seen some hunters and adventurers in Dor. There are cripples and freaks out there that make you look like a real handsome man with your special charm. And I'll tell you one thing. In a wh.o.r.ehouse, these scarred guys are a big success. No one's got a nose for them."

"Wh.o.r.es have that job," laughed Dan.

"Don't hurt the honest ladies of the oldest profession!"

"I didn't mean to hurt anybody," laughed Dan. "Our conversation has gone badly. Let's get back to work."

And they went on to dismantle a mountain of trophies. It's a boring thing to do. Nick was working fast. He'd take an item in his hand and immediately see its average value. Then he'd throw the item aside and take a new one. He had his own record list of all items in his status. Dan's work was harder, looking for artifacts. Some items were lit with green light before his eyes, and he would take them and put them aside where his collection of high-value items grew. The easiest items were with precious stones and costume jewelry. The hardest part was with the items of clothing. Vampires had items that would hide their characteristics and help hide among humans and monster hunters. These artifacts made Dan happy. He was very understanding. That very soon he would need the opportunity to hide his new nature from curious eyes.

When they decided to rest, Nick asked:

"How many monsters did you kill?"

"I don't know," said Dan with a sad smile. "You see, I didn't feel like a human being when I was dead alive. I had thoughts, but they were cloudy and sticky. I was just killing those creatures. I remember for sure that when I finally realized I was safe, it was like I was crazy. Tarrok really likes murder. That was his influence. I was the stupid mechanism for killing. But I was smart enough to collect trophies. I'd walk and fold them at the point of rebirth. There were many more trophies there! I could take the time to re-fill my inventory, and then clean it up to prolong the trophies. That thought came to me. When the skill action was over. I was sitting in a safe zone back then. I was eating and crying. I called p.u.s.s.y, and she was licking tears off my face. 13 hours in Draugr's condition is awful! I almost went crazy. But there were still vampires and spiders. I drove the cat to bed. And I activated the skill again. Then I took level 20."

Nick kept quiet, he turned his face and apologized for his curiosity.

They finished their work by tonight.

Alexander and John had already returned to the castle. The guys sat down at the vault entrance and talked about the scouting results.

The city was in ruins. But it was strange to see that the town didn't occupy a large area. There was only one district left of the ancient city. There were hills around the city and Alexander said that magicians had worked around the city. All suburbs of the city were magically buried under the debris of the earth. There was only one region left with ruins of ancient buildings and structures.

From the top of the hill it was difficult to see the details. But they saw that the skeletons in the city are ordinary, level 15, sometimes fly a banshee and zombies slowly wander the streets. The good news was that the ruins of houses created a low line of barriers between the streets. It'll be comfortable to destroy the dead in the city. But there's a banshee to be afraid of. Those creatures could fly!

When they left, John took a chance and made one attempt to get into the city center. He activated Invisibility and went into the ruins of Galatea. Alexander stayed waiting for him on top of the hill. They had a chat channel, and they were not afraid to lose each other.

John told them about an interesting find.

There was a square in the center of the city, where he noticed a great many undead.

Nick said it was interesting and he had a plan to deal with the huge cl.u.s.ter of monsters.

When the guys demanded details, he admitted he had a contact who could sell him the magic scroll.

There were spell scrolls in the game. The scrolls had different levels of difficulty, and they required different levels of intellect to activate. The player's mana was not used to activate the scroll.

"Medieval artillery," nodded Alexander. "You want to buy a very powerful scroll that will blow up the square like a bomb."

"That's right," said Nick.

Dan smiled, he guessed that a scroll with such a powerful spell would require many points of intellect. He even guessed who could activate a scroll like that. But he wouldn't ruin the surprise for Alexander and John.

"We can gently kill monsters. What are we waiting for? Tomorrow we'll go and raise your levels to 20. You'll be working three, I'll be there to protect you. 'Autodafe' is at your service, boys."

"We haven't found a temporary renaissance point," sighed John.

That was unpleasant news. The ruins were far from the castle. But Nick wasn't upset, he nodded quietly:

"I don't think the point of rebirth can be near the city. It could be in the city itself. John, you're out of luck, you came in on the wrong side."

Everybody agreed on this solution, everybody needed a good outlook.

Then the scouts took their pets and left the castle. They had the important task of creating the final link between the master and the pet.

Dan and Alexander could keep a close eye on the scouts' health. They were ready to come to their rescue at any moment.

Alexander was reading Dan's new cla.s.s description.

*

The Sinner.

Warning! Access to the hidden cla.s.s 'Nemesis' has been unlocked. You will get access to it by learning the current transformation.

Attention! You have betrayed your cla.s.s, access to the transformation of the Spirit's path is blocked.

Attention! Your sins are so great that they are visible to all NPCs, and you can no longer receive any more quests from them.

Attention! All who stand in the way of the Spirit will be generated quests for your extermination. If you fail in a fight with another player, you will lose 1% of your experience.

It happens so that in the fight against evil you can cross the line and stand in line with those you had to cruelly destroy. You betrayed your cla.s.s and the path you stood on when you made the deal with evil. Taste the fruits of your decision. From now on, you are a sinner, a living creature who has become a monster.

1. Improved skills [Pa.s.sive]:

'The Perfect Nature of Evil'. You have taken the path of destruction and discovered incredible opportunities. By killing and tormenting living creatures, you will become stronger and more powerful. [This skill increases your characteristics by 5% per point of skill]

It opens up skills:

'Evil Affinity'. Monsters feel your true nature and recognize you as theirs. You can live in desecrated areas and not be afraid of undead attacks. This skill belongs to the type of permanent effects.

'Cannibalism'. By eating the raw flesh of your victims, you partially adopt their properties. This skill increases resistance to the skills of your enemies and further increases your life volume.

2. Cla.s.s skills:

'Fallen'. You know very well what cla.s.ses that stand in the way of creation are capable of because you once stood in their way. Now you're using that knowledge for your own good. This skill greatly increases your damage in battles with other cla.s.ses.

It opens up skills:

'Expert in Anatomy'. After many murders you've done, you've become familiar with the anatomy of your enemies. This skill highlights weak areas on the bodies of your enemies. The skill allows you to deal with critical blows with increased damage and the chance of injury without fail.

'Angry'. Confronting the world isn't easy, you'll have to harden your will and spirit to avoid falling at the hands of multiple hunters. This skill increases the amount of your Spirit by 5% per point of skill possession.

'Nemesis'. The one who has nothing to lose is terrified and you know it more than anyone else. This skill gives you temporary invulnerability. [Time of action of skill in seconds: Number of your spirit* skill level. Cooldown: 24 hours]

3. Combat skills:

'Chains of sins'. You have committed so many terrible sins that they can temporarily appear in the real world as chains. This skill allows you to make the enemy feel the weight of what you have done. Chains of sins will hold your opponent back and slow him down greatly. Skill duration: The number of your spirits* per skill level in seconds. Cooldown: 24 hours]

'Burnt wings'. You will present your true essence to the world when you gather the ultimate amount of Rage. The Burnt Wings behind your back inflict powerful circular damage with spiritual fire on all enemies surrounding you. [Damage Calculation: The number of your spirits* skill level. The amount of Fury needed to activate the skill: 100]

Extra cla.s.s skill:

'Horrible transformation'. You risked deceiving your destiny, and you have partially succeeded. Now you can become a kind of undead for a limited time. You've gained the ability to transform into Draugr. [Skill time in minutes: number of spirits* skill level] For each skill use you lose 1 point of 'Glory']

*

"And I like your abilities. Temporary invulnerability to any damage! That's fantastic at all. It's alarming that you were the target of the quest for destruction. But I don't think there's much to contact the city's spiritualists and priest's office. And people like Ron are not your opponent. You can't get quests from locals? Nonsense. But cannibalism isn't normal anymore. Although, on the other hand, you're not going to get any worse from werewolf meat. How soon are those wolfhounds going to be there?"

Dan was listening to the warrior and smiling. Alexander was thinking about new cla.s.s bonuses, but he didn't want to see the downsides.

Now the skill of transforming into Draugr was becoming dead weight. He required a point of Glory. But the easiest way to get Glory is to complete the quest. Dan's direction is now limited.

The 'Perfect Nature of Evil' is an opportunity to increase all characteristics by 50% in the future. But what does the game mean by killing 'living creatures'? Clearly, these are not dead creatures. The Witch is definitely Dan's main target. But the monsters and animals are they living creatures? What's the level of sensitivity to be taken to kill? Dan hadn't even thought about torture. He won't be looking to meet witches and evil sorcerers. He'll be fine without raising that skill.

How he'll be met in the city or village in the afternoon... he didn't want to check. He lived without the sympathy and partic.i.p.ation of the local people and will live on!

At that moment they saw Nick and John returning to the castle. The guys looked beaten up. The stripes of their lives were falling by one-third.

"And where are your beasts? Show them," shouted Alexander.

"You'll see tomorrow, the kids need to rest," answered John.

"Dan! Have you ever hit your cat? Why didn't you say that...?"

"I didn't hit p.u.s.s.y! Do you think I'm a flayer?"

Dan outraged interrupted Nick's angry speech. But the sight of a scout calmed him down. Nick looked bad, he was in a disgusting mood.

"It was a very unpleasant feeling. It was just a horrible feeling. It was like I was cutting myself with a dagger. It was even worse! Dan, don't even try it! It's very unpleasant," confessed John.

"Sometimes I feel like... She's already smarter than I am. And an intelligence point means nothing. How can I raise my hand on her? I really hope that this cunning beast will warn me. When I get back to the gates of trouble. Even if it's very attractive trouble. I am a sinner. Curiosity is my greatest sin."

p.u.s.s.y was sitting at Dan's feet. She looked at these fools and didn't understand one thing.

Why would her stupid master deal with such idiots!