Soulcatcher

by Sergey Zaytsev

  What was so appealing about game worlds? Their enjoyable conventions, of course! Things like an infinite number of lives, immortality, in a sense, and, of course, the lack of bodily needs. But here, in "Universe ICS", everything seemed upside-down. Avatars were the same as physical bodies. You had to go to the bushes; there was no way around it. Not to mention that you had only three available lives. Grant called them "spares" or "saves". This was somewhat annoying given the fact that not everyone lived long enough to reach level ten. However, on the other hand, such restrictions taught caution.

  Even now, I was looking over my shoulder. One could never know what kind of creatures lurked in the thickets, waiting to bite something best left alone. It was necessary to develop the right habits. But what a thrill it was! My senses were already at their peak, but the game mechanics implied that they would develop further! The potential was fascinating.

  Back to the matter at hand.

  The "Loyal Friend" questline, which Grant had shared with me in "Daisy", consisted out of three stages and was traditionally passed from mentor to student. The first stage was called "Attack of the Elements" and consisted of getting all elemental essence crystals: Fire, Water, Air, Earth, Death and Life. Grant had finished it four days ago, while helping his mentor, so he had a full set of crystals. He also fulfilled the second stage called "A Battle Trophy", having gotten the "Altar of Pet Summoning" from someone called "Gybberkin". The baton had been passed to me. While Grant worked on completing the questline's last stage, "Awakening of a Pet", I could, at the meantime, complete its first. At least, I should be able to, if everything goes smoothly. Gameplay was never pure mathematics. Of course, in theory, it was possible to plan out any fight, but, in practice, the weaknesses and strengths of abilities were revealed, and their optimal rotation composed. Sure, it was silly talking about a rotation with only two skills in my arsenal. I had only just started getting used to my spec. There was much to be learned.

  Looking at Grant, I was starting to get nervous myself. The newbie was the one taking charge of the quest - in the role of a punching bag, nonetheless. The place he brought me to was chosen for a reason, for here dwelled the creature he intended to tame. A creature whose physical features suited his plans. I liked Grant. We immediately established an easy and relaxed manner of communication. We understood each other perfectly, so I didn't want his efforts to be ruined by a careless mistake. Especially if that mistake were to be mine. So, I focused on the upcoming fight. I had checked my shabby equipment at least ten times; the "Flask with a Tincture of Health" was on my belt, "Uniq" between my shoulder blades, and I was in a fighting mood. And let's not forget the "eyes on the back of my head", as the saying goes. The most important thing was not to miss anything once it all starts.

  Something cold fell onto my cheek.

  Brushing it off with my fingers, I looked up at the sky. A big drop fell right onto the tip of my nose, making me squint. From somewhere far away came a muffled thunderclap and nature seemed to fall silent for a couple of moments. Then came a gust of wind, carrying with it the smells of wet flora and soil. Grant was right, the rain had caught up with us. Leaves rattled loudly under the heavy drops. Almost immediately, a system message popped up.

  You received the "Heaven's Grace" aura! Your HP, energy and mana regeneration is temporarily increased by 20%.

  Just what we had been waiting for.

  "Get ready, Wise!" The mentor immediately raised his voice, eyes flashing with excitement from under the straw hat.

  "I was born ready, boss." I buffed myself with the "Tempest Blade", equipped the "Uniq" and tightly grabbed its handle. Good thing that the aura didn't require any mana or energy for its activation

  "Be very careful," Grant reminded me. "I won't be able to help you without breaking meditation. If any creature gets to me, we'll have to start the whole quest from the beginning. I'm putting all of my hope in the 'Shield of the Novice' and your wits. That's the only way to complete this quest. There's no room for mistakes."

  "I'll manage, don't worry," I said, mostly to reassure him than anything else.

  "I like your confidence, Wise. I feel we'll make a good team."

  Soaked by the rain, Grant knelt onto the grass before the "Altar" and pulled out a dagger. Wincing in advance, he made a cut along the edge of his left palm. Using his healing abilities, he healed himself the moment a couple of drops of blood fell onto the yellowish "Pet Seed".

  "Now, keep an eye on the crystals! Good luck to both of us!"

  I nodded. Grant closed his eyes and sat on his heels. A moment later, his body lit up with a ghostly glow. Six creatures were supposed to answer his silent call and give their life force to the future pet.

  After a long moment, the Fire essence crystal lit up on the altar, illuminating the night. The other crystals sparkled, reflecting its light.

  From somewhere nearby came a rustle, making me sharply turn my head in its direction. I took an involuntarily step back, increasing the distance between the sound and myself. I smelled smoke and burned leaves. Slowly, a four foot tall lizard crawled onto the open. Its purple-red scaly skin would flare up every now and again, forcing the leaves on the nearby bushes to curl and catch fire. With a hissing sound, drops of rain turned into steam upon hitting its long body.

  Impressive.

  Cautiously raising my sword, I froze, staring at the short line of text that revealed almost nothing about my enemy.

  "Firetail"

  Level 2

  HP: 198

  That was all. Further information, like a description of its habits and abilities, would be added to my virtual bestiary only if the enemy was defeated. That much I found out during the test fights. One could easily assume that the creature had magic skills by the blue mana bar underneath its green, health one. Although I knew that the "Shield" protected from both physical and magical attacks, my heart skipped a beat. It faltered for a second, no more. The fight would probably be a long one. It was a pity that I didn't have more mana and energy. It would be best to cast my emotions aside and be as accurate as possible.

  I took the bag off my shoulder and threw it onto the grass. Nothing should restrain my movement.

  The creature crawled forth a couple of steps before stopping and slowly turned its head towards the altar. It fixated its gaze on Grant. The distance between the overgrown salamander and the mage wasn't more than ten steps. As my mentor's eyes widened, I realized that the monster's arrival didn't go unnoticed. However, he had to stay immobile.

  Here we go!

  I picked up a heavy branch and threw it at the monster, hitting its bumpy, triangular skull. Hissing angrily, the lizard turned its head, its crimson eyes blazing with a deep fire. Suddenly it stood up on all fours, the tip of its muzzle reached to my waist. In the blink of an eye, it took off and charged at me. To avoid the collision, I jumped sideways, passing dangerously close its steaming, hot body. Landing onto my knee, I slashed at it with my blazing blade, hitting the base of its hind leg.

  "Firetail" used "Crushing Lunge" on Wisecracker.

  Attack dodged.

  Wisecracker attacks "Firetail".

  You cause 9 points of physical and 3 points of fire damage!

  "Firetail" HP: 186/198

  Sliding down through the logs, I let out a sad chuckle and raised my sword to repel the new attack. My plan to significantly reduce the creature's mobility with the first blow didn't work out. Being a fire elemental, "Searing Flash", a fire based attack, triggered the lizard's resistance, lowering the damage to a minimum. I had wasted ten mana and energy points. Four more such strikes will completely drain my mana. I will have to rely on physical damage and move around.

  Despite the buff it gave, the rain, although not strong, still hurt. Water was getting into my eyes, reducing visibility and forcing me to shake my head. I could really use Grant's hat right now. My jacket was getting wetter and heavier. Shitty leather, really. Not to mention that the grass had become slippery.

 
; Lowering its entire body to the ground, the lizard, despite its weight, quickly turned around, limping noticeably due to the damaged leg. It was also having a hard time. Its whole body was enveloped in steam. As the "Firetail" was weak to water, its stats were reduced by 10%.

  Presenting its gaping maw full of small, sharp fangs, the "Firetail" crawled to me for more. It wasn't as fast anymore. Without hesitation, I closed the distance between us. Two quick steps, followed by a jump to the side and I was outflanking it. The creature, still on all fours, tried to jump away, but my "Uniq" managed to cut deeply into its scaly side.

  Wisecracker attacked "Firetail".

  You cause 2x9 points of physical and 5 points of air damage!

  "Firetail" HP: 163/198

  The blade's crit and passive had activated!

  Liquid fire poured out of the lizard's wound, congealing into crimson crust. Glancing at the enemy's HP bar, it was hard not to frown. It was much stronger than those "Warthogs". I got angry at myself - why the hell was I dragging this out?! With the buffs I had, all of this sword dancing was pointless. I had to take advantage of my skills before leveling up nerfs my "Shield of the Novice"! Its protection decreases by 10% with each level after all!

  Trying not to slip on the muddy ground, I ran around, swinging the "Uniq" like a lumberjack would an axe. Blow after blow, the energy bar decreaed rapidly. However, I wasn't paying attention. Mana, too, ran out quickly. "Tempest Blade" activated every third or fourth strike. The lizard was spinning, ploughing the smoky dirt with its legs. It leapt and bounced, snapping its teeth, and tried to grab my shin or thigh as it couldn't reach higher than that. I moved and the "Firetail", repelled by the protective aura, just bounced away from me. Each good blow from the "Uniq" took a good chunk off the enemy's HP bar. Soon, the monster's skin was riddled with deep cuts and covered in the cooling, igneous crust.

  The "Firetail" made a desperate dash towards me. Jumping, it closed its jaws around my unprotected hands, gripping the hilt of the "Uniq". I almost howled from the unexpected pain. Teeth dug deep like the metal jaws of a bear trap, pulling my hands down with uncontrollable force, and twisting my arms at the elbows. The creature literally hung on me, and it weighed much more than a man.

  "Firetail" used "Ripping Bite" on Wisecracker.

  You receive 3x22 points of physical damage (59 absorbed)!

  Current HP: 93/100

  I lunged forward in desperation, tearing myself out of the grip. Disarmed and unable to stay on my feet, I rolled on the grass, splashing rainwater about the place. With a jerk, I rose to my knees and noticed the deep and bloody teeth marks on the back of my hands. Pulsating pain traveled to my elbows and almost reached the shoulders. Slowly, it faded away. Was this how the 10% damage spread over the entire body area?!

  When I raised my head, I saw the "Firetail" trotting towards me. Having lost most of its fighting ardor, bruised and bloodied, it was heavily limping on all fours. The "Uniq", which the creature had chewed and spat out, was lying on the grass behind it.

  Oh, you damn walking suitcase…

  Fury covered my eyes with a crimson veil. I jumped, leaping over the "Firetail's" gaping maw. After landing, I hastily picked up the sword and turned in a backswing.

  But the lizard had a new surprise for me. Figuring that it had nothing to lose, it used its super-move. It must have been saving it for a special occasion. Rapidly spinning around, figure blurring and shifting, its tail flashed in a dazzling fiery arc and slapped my feet with an insane amount of force.

  "Firetail" used "Tail Swipe" on Wisecracker.

  You receive 5x19 points of physical (86 absorbed) and 98 points of fire damage (89 absorbed)!

  You are stunned for 3 sec!

  Earth and sky suddenly spun before my eyes, and I felt like I was floating. My back hit the ground, knocking the air out of my lungs. My HP bar shortened significantly. Unable to move, I lay there with my mouth open and my eyes bulging, struggling to breathe, like fish on dry land. I barely managed to lift my head.

  Rising high onto its hind legs, as during its first attack, jaws wide open, the lizard rushed at me with the speed of an arrow. Something told me that evading his recharged "Crushing Lunge" would be much more difficult this time around.

  It was a miracle that I managed to keep the sword in my hands after the fall.

  Breathing heavily, I waited until the last moment, pretending to be more helpless than I actually was. Seeing an opening, I rolled sideways and, putting all of my strength into it, landed a skew blow. The heavy body threatened to pull the sword out of my hands, but I clung onto the "Uniq's" handle with a dead man's grip. Having acquired so much speed, the "Firetail" could not stop in time and I managed to cut its underbelly all the way from its chest to the base of its tail.

  The lizard's painful screech echoed in the night. Lifeless, the creature fell limply to the side. The rain-soaked grass below it hissed with steam and smoke.

  The log dispassionately informed me of my victory.

  "Firetail" has been defeated!

  XP earned: 210

  Current XP: 648/1000

  Unlocked a new skill.

  "Assassin's Gambit"

  Rank 1 (0/100)

  A calculated hit to the enemy's vulnerable points has a 5% chance of inflicting critical damage, insta-killing the enemy!

  Added entry to the bestiary: "Firetail"

  Show: yes / no?

  Maybe I'd give it a look once I am in some quiet and cozy place with a tankard of cold beer in my hand; but not now when I am lying dead tired in the mud. And what new information could the bestiary possibly give me? Info abot the "Firetail's" special moves, like the "Tail Swipe", "Ripping Bite" and "Crushing Lunge" that I had already felt on my skin?

  There was a hole the size of my palm in my trousers near my left knee. The skin had turned red from the heat. Luckily, I didn't suffer any burns. I got lucky. Who said that 10% of damage didn't hurt?! It all depended on who, or what, hit you!

  Lost in thought, I looked at Grant, who was still sitting on his heels, silent as statue, watching me from underneath his hat like from under an umbrella. His clothes remained dry and clean, unlike mine, which were already wet and dirty. And although his face, still and emotionless, resembled a wax mask it seemed as if sparks of mischief were dancing in his eyes. Was me being a punching bag that amusing? I'll remind him of this one day. Okay, it was not manly of me to whine. The most important thing was to quickly catch my breath and get a hold of myself.

  Involuntarily gritting my teeth, I carefully doused the wounds on my leg and hands with the "Tincture of Health", taking care not to spill any. The surface of the wounds was covered with fine foam which hardened almost instantly, forming a thin, elastic crust. I wiggled my fingers. It didn't interfere with the movements. I made a mental note to acquire a pair gloves. The universal remedy, "Tincture", was suitable for both external and internal use, so I took a sip of it and immediately felt much better. The lizard beat the shit out of me alright. That "three seconds stun" was utter horse shit, I was still barely standing and my muscles hurt like hell! I guess that losing a quarter of your HP bar would fuck you up pretty bad. However, without a healer's support, I could only sit and wait for the next enemy.

  As Grant had assured me, this whole world, its water, soil and air, was impregnated with some kind of an active substance, which provided the energy the players needed. The fastest way to regenerate would be to stand in a body of water. Immersing oneself completely would be most beneficial. But I couldn't jump into the lake, as the area was already occupied. And even if I had the chance, I wouldn't take it. Running around in wet clothes was no fun. Blessed by the rain's buff, my HP, energy and mana bars regenerated slowly, but surely.

  The second crystal flared up with a bright sky-blue light of the element of Air, derailing my train of thought. Cursing, I took another sip of the "Tincture", reducing its capacity to 6/10, hastily screwed the lid back on and hung the flask onto my belt. I cleaned my face wit
h a trembling hand, brushing away the raindrops. With resolve swelling in me, I rose to my feet and pulled the "Uniq" out of the ground. The fun never stopped, eh…?

  The sound of flapping wings was getting closer...

  Chapter 6

  "Attack of the Elements"

  A quick turn and a step to the side. Blurring from the speed, the tip of the blade drew a whistling arc. Then I froze in surprise.

  What the...?

  "Harpsaw"

  Level: 2

  HP: 136

  I wonder who came up with these names? "Harpsaw"? Couldn't it just be a "harpy"?

  The creature that landed onto the lowest branch of the nearest tree could be, by a long shot, mistaken for a very large bird. The "Harpsaw" crossed its talons, curved claws tenaciously grabbed a branch as thick as my arm, cutting through the bark like a set of razor sharp knives. Then it rose, making it comfortable for its wings, which were no less than seven feet wide. Its body was entirely covered in bluish-grey feathers, rising up to a pair of saggy breasts covered with blue fluff, an ugly caricature of a woman's chest. From there the fluff rose up the neck and covered the humanlike skull. Only the face was visible – the most disgusting part of it all. It resembled a face of an ancient crone with its gray wrinkled skin, hooked nose and a pair of round, bird eyes which were pale and watery, as if faded from old age. Yet the "Harpsaw's" gaze was not elderly, but sharp and piercing and burning with intent. The "aggro" from the first battle had not yet subsided, so the "bird" did not pay attention to Grant, but to me.

  Perfect. Now to figure out how to hit her. I had no ranged attacks, and the ugly thing was sitting almost ten feet above the ground. One could, of course, throw something at her, like I had done with the lizard…

  I looked around, but there were no suitable objects nearby. Trying not to lose my guest from sight, I glanced in the direction of the tree trunk behind Grant. There were a lot of branches, but something told me it was better not to twitch now.