To be frank, we didn’t much need the dome. The orcs clearly thought these lands were already under control of the horde. They were behaving in a way that was, to my eye, extremely careless. We didn’t see any sentries. It seems they’re relying on the keen senses of the two wargs snoring like bumps on a log next to the largest yurt, which is located at the opposite end of the camp.
Honestly, something was still bothering me. This was all happening just a few hours’ walk from our hut. For wargs that isn’t even a long way. We’re lucky the wind was blowing toward us all night, otherwise the smell of our smoke would have invited guests.
I looked where we came from. Basically no smoke. Before leaving, I’d checked the stove. Over the night, the five dry logs had burned very quickly. All that was left by morning were some gray little coals.
“That was exactly what Randy and Bruni warned us about when they mentioned orc scouts,” Mee said. Then he asked uncomprehendingly: “I can’t understand. Why are your rulers not doing anything? And the warriors that abandoned you? I’d have thought there were many such troops around here.”
“No, brother,” I shook my head. “In my heart I feel that we won’t be seeing any of the local ruler’s soldiers any time soon. Or any commoners for that matter. It’s safe to say they all have gone west. Closer to the large and well-fortified cities. And as for the company we encountered. I saw the way Tom and the others reacted when they heard who was in front of them. They are rangers. And they were probably here to complete a particular mission. People like that don’t put themselves in harm’s way without good reason.”
“That much I already figured out,” Mee agreed peevishly. “They abandoned you just like that. Without a second thought.”
In response I just waved it off as if to say it was already behind us. All my thoughts had turned to a different issue. I leaned my right shoulder on the nearest tree and asked thoughtfully:
“Is there any way to tell a shaman’s yurt apart?”
“Yes,” Mee answered. “And there aren’t any here.”
“That makes things easier,” I muttered.
Seemingly it finally reached the gremlin. He turned sharply and looked me in the eyes.
“What scheme have you cooked up now?”
“Isn’t it obvious?” I answered with a question. “We’re going to attack.”
When he heard that, Gorgie gave a snarl of approval and impatiently started shifting from one foot to the other.
“After all, you must understand that, based on the number of yurts, there should be many more orcs,” Mee objected, frowning. “At least three times more. They’re all riders. Not one warrior below level twenty. The others could return at any minute.”
I took a heavy sigh.
“I don’t actually want to fight. And I’m just as afraid as you are. But we’re bound to cross paths with these orcs now. You must understand that already.”
Mee looked grimly down at the snow and followed the tracks back toward our hut with a thoughtful gaze. He breathed a heavy sigh.
“You’re right,” he muttered. “They’ll find our tracks sooner or later. Should we lure those two out or walk into the camp under a Dome like that other time?”
“Better lure them out,” I answered. “Who knows what kind of surprises they left around the camp. They couldn’t really be that careless, right?”
Mee nodded and smiled for the first time:
“Then we can follow their very tracks into camp. There’ll probably be something worth our while there.”
* * *
It all unfolded fairly easily and even casually. All I had to do was show myself to the orcs and, pretending to be scared, hide amongst the trees. Then they started loudly squealing and whooping with glee, jumped onto their wargs and tore off after me.
After I’d lured them a bit deeper into the glade, I stopped. Continuing to feign confusion and fear, breathing heavily, I got down on one knee. The orcs started squealing all the louder and quickened their pace. It seems they’re competing with one another. No weaponry in their hands. They want to take me alive. I would be the slave of whichever one grabs me first.
I checked Ram. Optimal distance – time to strike. I let the loudmouths get a hair closer and activated my spell.
— You have attacked Orc Rider (20).
— You have dealt 243 damage!
— You have attacked Orc Rider (20).
— You have dealt 278 damage!
— You have attacked Steppe Warg (18).
— You have dealt 215 damage!
— You have attacked Steppe Warg (18).
— You have dealt 207 damage!
Neither the orcs nor wargs were wearing any amulets. They had clearly fallen on hard times. The lilac wave of my spell easily sent the riders flying back a few yards like straw dolls and left them frozen stiff with their appendages stuck out awkwardly.
Gorgie and Mee appeared from invisibility and rushed forward. Thanks to Ava’s amulet, Ram had undergone an amazing transformation.
- Gulper’s Shattering Ram.
- Level: 1+5 (0/30).
- Type: Spell.
- Rarity: Common.
- Description:
- Using magic, Gulpers can ram their targets with great force.
- Effect:
- Deals 345 damage.
- Sends enemy flying back a few yards, stunning them for 40 seconds.
- Requirements:
- Intellect – 4.
- Expends 40 mana points.
- Note:
- Cooldown time: 5 sec.
- Range: 43 feet.
- Radius of effect: 10 feet.
Forty seconds of stun is an eternity compared to what it used to be! Gorgie was accustomed to taking down enemies quicker than that, which the Great System informed me of right away.
— You have killed Orc Rider (20).
— Congratulations! You receive:
— Experience essence (4000).
— Silver tablet (10).
— You have killed Steppe Warg (18).
— Congratulations! You receive:
— Experience essence (3600).
— Silver tablet (10).
— You have killed Steppe Warg (18).
— Congratulations! You receive:
— Experience essence (3600).
— Silver tablet (10).
— You have killed Orc Rider (20).
— Congratulations! You receive:
— Experience essence (4000).
— Silver tablet (10).
While Mee hurriedly searched the corpses, Gorgie launched off in the direction of the camp, not tarrying for a single second. To scout out the situation. A minute later, we heard him snarl. All clear.
The temporary orcish settlement greeted us with a terrible stench. I even started tearing up. And to think I was worried someone would smell the smoke from our little stove.
I looked around in disgust. A real pigsty. I glanced at Mee. He shrugged his shoulders and briefly explained:
“They didn’t bring any slaves, so there’s nobody to clean up after them.” And then, smiling, he pointed around with his hand and added: “If they took you prisoner, you’d have had lots to do.”
Snorting back, I activated Sixth Sense. The improved ability immediately showed three sources of magical emanations.
“The first and juiciest is in the big yurt,” I started enumerating to the gremlin, who was listening carefully. “The second is in that tent there. And the third is on the edge of camp. Where should we start?”
Flashing simultaneous smiles, we hurried toward the largest yurt without a word. Gorgie, done with investigating the camp, gave a warning snarl and dashed toward the glade. As if to say there’s lots of good meat going to waste.
As I entered the yurt, I winced and covered my nose. Well, well. Now here’s a stench! How can you live in such shit?!
Mee didn’t even sniff, accustomed after many years of this.
I check
ed the mini-map and pointed toward the far wall of the yurt.
“There. Underground.”
The gremlin took out his knife, quickly hopped over where I pointed and started digging hurriedly. I walked up closer and peeked over his shoulder. Before two minutes had passed, the Great System pleased me with a message:
― Attention! You have discovered a simple hiding spot!
― Congratulations! You receive:
— Experience essence (15).
— Clay tablet of Mind.
— Clay tablet “Hiding Spot Pillager.”
— Clay tablet of Observation.
Based on the way Mee froze for a moment, I wasn’t the only one who got that message. A moment later, the gremlin lowered a hand into the hiding spot and took out a small leather bag. He stood to his feet and extended it to me.
I gave it a bit of thought, undid the drawstrings and glanced inside. The more I read the description of the contents, the wider the smile crept across my face. I glanced at Mee. He was also smiling happily.
― Small mana crystal (1).
― Gold tablet (1).
― Bone ring of agility (1).
― Clay tablet of Strength (158).
― Clay tablet of Agility (246).
― Stone tablet of Strength (24).
― Stone tablet of Speed (38).
Beyond that there were a few gold and silver coins.
I popped the contents of the bag into my backpack.
Not wasting time, we got out of the yurt and headed for the next spot.
There was no hiding spot in this tent. The thing emanating magical energy was none other than a defensive amulet. It was lying on a fur bed and covered with a dirty rag. Based on the dull glow, it had practically no mana left in it.
Taking the bone bauble in my hands I tossed it into my backpack without reading the description. We don’t have much time. We can look at our trophies later.
But alas, the third spot disappointed. On the edge of the camp, the magic marker looked like a blot with magical threads stretching away from it in different directions. Looks like some kind of trap or alarm system. Which I told the gremlin standing next to me.
“Then let’s get out of here,” he suggested. “I know we haven’t checked the rest of the tents, but I’d prefer to just leave as quick as we can.”
I just nodded in silence, agreeing, and we ran toward the glade where Gorgie was filling his stomach with warg meat.
* * *
For the next seven hours, I plodded along without stopping or taking a rest. I was not being stingy with potions of satiety either – we had to get far, far away from the orc camp. Beyond that, every hour Mee would roll one of his Waves of Healing over me, increasing my regeneration by thirty points.
My speed, alas, was not improved. But the waves kept my energy supply topped off at all times. I don’t know how this barbaric treatment of my body will end but I’m sure that all my muscles will have something to say about it tomorrow.
Initially I wanted to keep going all night because I didn’t feel particularly tired. But when the sun went down, the leaden sky broke forth into an abundant snowfall. Then an hour later, a strong wind came nipping at the snowfall’s heels and whipped it up into a blizzard.
We got a lucky break, though – the inclement weather caught up to us right when Gorgie found a convenient ravine to spend the night. Despite the icy wind burning my skin and the snowfall forming a solid wall in every direction, I was smiling happily. The blizzard would eliminate all our tracks.
It turned out impossible to pitch our tent properly. So the three of us wriggled into our tent case as if it were some great sack and, pressed up snug against one another, sat still listening to the storm bellowing outside.
― You have created a Gulper’s Lair!
Mee’s last Wave was still active, so I still didn’t want to sleep. Instead I decided to review our loot. I started with the mana crystal. The stone’s description brought a smile to my face. A whole eight hundred points. Almost halfway full. By the way, it was thanks to that mana that we discovered the hiding spot.
Moving on.
— Gold tablet.
— Level: 1.
— Category: Characteristic.
— Effect: +3 to current progress in any characteristic.
— Weight: None. Takes no space.
As I read the description, I was mentally rubbing my hands together. An excellent tablet. No less valuable than a tablet of intellect. Not bound to any characteristic. I can’t even imagine how much money it might fetch.
Turning the gold sheet over in my hands, I gently returned it to my backpack and opened the next item’s description.
— Bone ring of Agility.
— Level: 6.
— Category: Simple.
— Agility +5.
— Durability – 52.
Oh! Now here’s a ring for my buddy Mee. I turned to share the good news with my brother but heard him snoring measuredly so figured I’d better wait until morning.
Setting the ring aside, I picked up the stone bauble we found in the second tent.
Magic Amulet of Defense.
― Level: 7.
― Category: Rare.
― Mana supply: 3/1000.
― Magic shield: 3/1000.
― Attention! When its mana supply reaches 0, the amulet will disappear!
― Durability – 3.
Hm, this was about the kind of thing I was imagining. I just needed a few more details to fully understand it. So this item magically converts one mana point into one point of defense?
I wonder why the orc was keeping such a useless doodad around. Three points of defense is basically nothing, after all. I doubt it could even withstand a single needle poke.
In response to my question, there came a brief System message I’d passed over while distracted by the amulet’s description.
― Would you like to refill the amulet’s mana supply?
So there’s the rub! The former owner was actually quite practical. They must have been saving the artifact for the next time they encountered a shaman. That’s probably a paid service. And it most likely doesn’t come cheap. Actually, that could be another way to earn a good keep. As soon as I get home, I’ll have to look into it in greater detail.
Returning to the System’s question, I gave my assent and saw a new message:
― Would you like to refill the amulet’s mana supply instantly?
― Would you like to refill the amulet’s mana supply over time?
Based on the second question, there’s no need to fill the supply to the brim. But it is preferable. The last Durability line must be there for a reason.
Well then? I have enough mana. I’ll go with “instantly.” This can give brother Mee some defense. After making up my mind, I immediately got a success notification.
“Let’s see what that got us,” I whispered and opened the amulet’s description.
Magic amulet of Defense.
― Level: 7.
― Category: Rare.
― Mana supply: 1000/1000.
― Magic shield: 1000/1000.
― Attention! When its mana supply reaches 0, the amulet will disappear!
― Durability – 2.
That was basically what I thought. The artifact had two more charges left.
Yawning wide, I closed the System notification and turned my head toward my friends. Hehe... Unlike Mee, who was sleeping like a baby, Gorgie was patiently awaiting his portion of tablets.
I smiled and placed a hand on his scaled head. My loyal pal responded with a groan.
I opened my pet’s characteristics and spent a bit of time studying them in depth. Then, my head turned toward Gorgie, I asked:
“What do you say to us bringing your level up?”
The harn snorted back affirmatively as if to say it was long overdue.
“Then it’s agreed.”
— Attention! Your pet has reached level 12
!
The Dark Continent (Underdog Book #3): LitRPG Series Page 2