Changing World- The Beginning

by Sergei Katz

  When I woke up, I immediately made my choices. For each of the Runes of Vorto: “Ev”, “Kano”, “Az” and “Perth”, I created a pool, and for each rune, 2 life points were added to it. Each rune had one to three abilities. Each ability came with a price. All the abilities were either exclusively for my class, or designated as suitable “for all classes”.

  “Ev” - the first of the runes, offered some rather unusual techniques.

  The cost is 1 point. Ability: “Two For the Price of One”. The cost is 40 manna. For 10 seconds the enemy perceives each of your attacks as two attacks. The chance of blocking and evading is 50%. It will take 10 seconds to regain self-control.

  I appreciated this: “an interesting ability. I'll definitely take it on board,” — and proceeded to study the second ability of the first rune.

  The cost is 2 points. Ability: “Thick Smokescreen”. The cost is 80 manna. There will be a 5-second smokescreen around you. During the smokescreen, you cannot be selected as a target for spells and attacks from a distance. It will last for 40 seconds.

  “Hmm ... Such a trick could allow me to get to a magician or an archer without any risk, if they don’t apply magic or shoot arrows at the whole group at the same time, which is called AOE (area of effect) in games ... — I marked it down as “yes rather than no”.

  “Kano”: the second of the runes, only provided one ability, but what an ability that was!

  The cost is 3 points. Ability: “Black Well”. The price is 65 manna. A dark sphere will manifest itself before your opponent. Your weapons will emanate from the sphere and strike one blow at a time. The strength of each blow is increased by 75%. It will take 20 seconds to regain self-control.

  I thought about it: “It's strange that the price seems to be so high for something that doesn’t seem very effective. Something's wrong here, maybe, of course, it’s nothing more than a glitch in the beta version of the game, but most likely I’m just still learning … But, even given the high price, I want this ability.”

  “Az” - the third rune, had two quite considerable abilities, both costing 2 points.

  The cost is 2 points. Ability: “Illusion of Deceit.” The price is 80 manna. You will take on the appearance of your opponent for the next 1 minute. This psychologically puts pressure on your opponent, and he gets tired twice as quickly.

  This got me going: “In a one-on-one fight, especially in tournaments, this could really help. It’s also possible that this psychological effect would also work well with the rest of my team.”

  The cost is 2 points. Ability: “Sneaky Focus”. The price is 50 manna. The sword from the right hand disappears and strikes a blow in the opponent's back. Damage is increased by 50%. 25% possibility of dealing a lethal blow. It takes 3 minutes to regain self control.

  “There was no question about it – it was an unambiguous YES!” — I decided to immediately take this ability, confirming the payment of 2 life points.

  As soon as I did so, I had the opportunity to activate this ability, and so I switched to the viewing display of all of my abilities. As expected, I saw only the inscription “Sneaky Focus” and a list of things that I had experienced in my past.

  “So, this ability can be improved upon, and this is good news. Now I understood why the cost price of the “Black Well” ability was 3 life points. This was good news.” — I concluded.

  Your “Intuition” ability has increased: +1% (96%).

  “What did that have to do with intuition? This was pure logic, but I am grateful for +1%. Okay ...” — I went back to the list of abilities of the runes.

  “Perth”, the fourth rune, had only two rather mediocre abilities.

  The cost is 1 point. Ability: “Flash”. The price is 15 manna. A flash appears in the eyes of the enemy. Loss of vision for 2 seconds. Self-control returns after 1 minute.

  I grimaced: “Another control spell that only lasts for a very short time.”

  The cost is 1 point. Ability: “Hidden Shield”. The price is 135 manna. Creates an invisible shield that will deflect up to 500 damage points. Effective for 45 seconds.

  “It seemed like it suited me instantly. Although, on the other hand, during a serious battle, 45 seconds weren’t as crucial, it was still a small price to pay for something that could be so important to me. I’ll get it if I have any leftover points at the end. At this moment, I was dealing with what I was dealing with,” — I made a decision, and continued to reflect on the difficult choices. So, I had only 6 life points left. I chose the “Black Well”, and then I had only 3 life points left. “Thick Smokescreen” would add me maneuverability in a duel with opponents who were used to the close combat. So, I used my remaining point, as I had planned: I took “Two for One”. This was something I could use even before I would regain self-control, when I had more Mana.

  Then I had to deal with the Second Vorto.

  There was only one Rune called “Hag” with three abilities, but in this case, it was only possible to take on one of them.

  The cost is 2 points. Ability: “Slaughter Swing”. The price is 200 manna. The enemy has to be from 5 to 45 meters away. A series of two strikes, performed by two swords, is carried out as follows: the first strike is applied instantaneously, and the second strike arrives imperceptibly, into the most vulnerable point on the enemy's body. 125-150% of damage. 25% chance of causing lethal injury, and a 10% probability to put the enemy into a stupor for 1 second.

  “It's all clear to me now, this is the only option, so there's nothing to think about. Plus, this thing is a real killer, although ... the cost of the spell makes the chance of its use very low,” — I thought to myself.

  The cost is 2 points. The ability: “Click”. The price is 20 manna. Your sword strikes the enemy on the nose. 50% chance of causing disorientation for 1 second, preventing the enemy from casting spells. Recovery time is 15 seconds.

  “What a strange ability! On the one hand, it had an excellent effect, but for only 1 second? This is so little. So, what do we have next?” — I was impatient to learn about the third ability of this rune.

  The cost is 2 points. Ability: “Sly Maneuver”. The price is 55 manna. You block 75% of the next non-magical attack, for the next 3 seconds, and evasion from attack increases by 25%. Recovery time takes 15 seconds.

  Yet again, I wasn’t sure: “How useful is such an ability? An attack can be strong or very weak. This technique is useful except in a one-on-one fight, and given that the enemy needs time to launch a specific attack, then if I can deal with one attack then I can deal with the next one. No, still, I think I'd better take “Slaughter Swing”, sometimes it's better to be able to finish the fight in one fell swoop!” — I decided.

  I had made my mind up and was ready to go. Initially, I planned to go around the desert, but later it turned out that my Copper Wing was absolutely certain that he could lead us right through it. Although my powers had increased, we were one fighter down, and this, coupled with what we already knew about the dangers we had to face while passing through the desert, had shifted the scales.

  So, here we were again back in the desert. Our opponents, as expected, were the same as the ones we had come across before. As soon as I was convinced that there would be no unforeseen problems, I decided to try out my new arsenal of weapons. First, I needed to understand how to use the Harlequin’s abilities, and secondly, at the very top of my list of tasks was to develop those abilities as quickly as possible to 100% through experience and see what would happen next.

  I was incredibly pleased with my new abilities. “Focus”, in fact, was almost a cheat: it was simply impossible to block, or even avoid its impact, unless you had eyes in the back of your head. As soon as I was convinced that I was doing an excellent job working like a tank and attacking from all sides, we changed our tactics. Morph turned into a sword, and I also started practicing my fighting style with two swords, and at the same time began to seriously practice the “Black Well” and “Two for One” abilities. Both meth
ods showed themselves to be quite successful and they pretty much made my opponents defenseless. Although, to be honest, there were no longer any serious enemies in this desert for me anymore. Dealing with the harder cases was a little bit more complicated than the others. From time to time I cast the “Smokescreen”, which I simply used for practice. I only used “Slaughter Swing” if there was no doubt that I had no use for my mana any longer.

  We were moving across the desert for several days, and the heat was incredible. I had regretted agreeing to this idea many times. I was 100% certain that when we had gone through the desert for the first time, the temperature had been 10 degrees lower. Even my Copper Wing, who used to fly with pleasure to scout ahead, at this point was trying not to fly too far, and my Phasm kept trying to hide from the Sun in my shadow, but my shadow wasn’t large enough and could only cover him for a couple of hours a day.

  As always, when the Sun was at its zenith, we decided to take a break ... but then a raspberry-colored Jumping Desert Mouse jumped over Little Morph while he was resting. My pet couldn’t endure such arrogance and rushed after the insolent little animal.

  My Copper Wing looked at me inquiringly, as if asking: what shall we do? Should we give him a hand or just leave him to it? I could see that the bird wanted a change from our boring life.

  — Well, let's go then, — I smiled at my Totem. — It seems that our restless companion has taken a liking to desert guides.

  I didn’t doubt for a second that the Desert Mouse was going to lead us to a new adventure, only I had a suspicion that the adventure was more for me, and not for my pet.

  Your “Intuition” has increased: +1% (97%).

  Actually, my suspicions were confirmed quite quickly, as a new quest just came up. A couple of more such predictions, and I would finally boost my “Intuition” to a new level. I was very curious to discover what the bonus would be this time.

  We quickly got up. I was on my feet, and my Copper Wing was already in the air, so we started chasing after the runners. After 10 minutes of running, visibility deteriorated when a sandstorm kicked in around us. If it weren’t for Morphy’s name above his head, which I'd always been able to see, then we could have been lost. My Copper Wing felt the same. When visibility deteriorated completely, he descended and was flying right next to me, literally touching me with his wings.

  After another 15 minutes of chase, the speed went into overdrive. If I had known that this was going to happen then there would have been no way that I would’ve raced after this waste of space Desert Mouse. However, after all of this effort, I refused to give up! My fatigue scale was rapidly approaching a level when I would simply be unable to continue the chase. For a moment, I got distracted by my heavy breathing Phasm, who had stopped in front of me, which resulted in me tumbling over him. Quickly coordinating my movements, I turned the unexpected fall into a smooth roll, and, finishing it, I took out my sword, ready for a possible battle.

  The wall of sand cleared, and I found myself in the midst of a tribe of Orcs. I appreciated that so far there was no danger just yet, and I realized that it wasn’t worth causing trouble by waving a sword in front of a couple of dozen well-armed Orcs, close to their wives and children. I quickly covered my sword and tried to get up. Hearing the flapping of wings behind my back, I paused for a moment, letting my Totem appear over my head.

  The appearance of the bird caused a merriment stir in the ranks of the younger Orcs, and it broke the uneasy silence. When my other pet arrived at the scene, the youngsters completely ignored the shouted instructions of their elders, and they my pets were perceived as living toys. I had to say that my “zoo pets” had no problem with this and began to play with the young Orcs happily.

  However, what was acceptable for the children wasn’t acceptable for the adults. Technically speaking, we were surrounded by warriors. So far, I didn’t feel threatened yet, but I knew that if something were to happen then there would be no mercy. “Okay, let's see what it all leads to”, — I thought to myself.

  After a few minute's talks, the youngest of the Orcs tore off toward the buildings located here and there, most of them looking like huts built from sand. The entire village was divided into 3 groups of buildings, located around two rusty-yellow cobblestone walls, and each one was about five meters high.

  After a couple of minutes of waiting, the warriors dispersed from the side where one of them had run off, and two new characters came forward. One was a mighty Orc, about two and a half meters high, if not more; the width of his shoulders was almost twice as large as mine, and he had penetrating amber eyes on his battle-scarred face. I could see that he was pretty sure of himself: this usually was the trait of unbeaten fighters, who knew their own worth. The warrior bore a large two handed sword on his back.

  Next to him was an old Orc, whose skin had lost its green color and became almost sand-like. His attire immediately implied that he was a shaman: a lot of amulets and loose-colored clothes. He was holding something resembling a rattle in one hand, and a half-meter tall creature carved from a tree in another, which the shaman seemed to be using in place of a staff. An even greater aura of power was coming from the old Orc than from the warrior. It was strange, but it was the first time that I had witnessed such a strong aura from anyone in this world.

  The warrior asked me to come forward. I didn’t really have a choice, so I calmly approached the new arrivals.

  — Greetings, Newcomer, and welcome to the lands of the Ahi Arra tribe. I am the head of the tribe, and you can call me Rarou. Why did you come to our land?

  Only the warrior spoke, the Shaman was just standing there and carefully watching every movement. They totally ignored my Totem and Phasm.

  — I was led here by one of the guides of the desert. — I decided, if possible, to speak only the truth. I had nothing to hide so far, and the Shaman could also have the ability to read my mind, to confirm the truth of my words, which might have been the reason why he was here.

  The warrior looked at the Shaman, and he nodded in agreement.

  — Well, that's a plausible explanation. We respect the will of the desert, but our rules are the same for all. Everyone who comes to us without an invitation must prove that he has no bad intentions and that he is worthy of being a guest of our tribe. So that’s the first thing out of the way, so now choose your opponent in a duel to prove that you are worthy.

  The warrior and the Shaman parted ways, and three Orc warriors appeared before me. The first one was very young, and he spun around two medium-sized axes in his hands. The blades were sickle-shaped. In the middle stood a skilled warrior, and he had a heavy mace in his hands, but he could handle it effortlessly, throwing it from one hand to the other. The last warrior seemed to be the most experienced of the three. His huge scimitar hung from his belt. His whole demeanor indicated that I had better not choose him if I wanted to stay alive here.

  “Well, well, with my ability to evade strikes in battle you will never be able to get near me, not even once!” — I thought smugly. However, my little hesitation in making the choice was regarded as a sign of cowardice.

  Rarou smirked, and approached me:

  — If you think ...

  I didn’t know what he would say yet, but even the tone of his voice caused a storm of emotion in me.

  The head of the tribe, meanwhile, continued:

  — Even the youngest Warrior-Orc who has only reached adulthood today, will be too much for you to deal with. So, don’t be shy, we can put a woman, or any of the children in front of you because you are nothing special, just a Newcomer. We understand that you haven’t been here for very long.

  The Orcs surrounding me appreciated the joke and started laughing, and the children began to throw sand at me. Even the women were trying not to look me in the face. The three warriors stood before me with contempt on their faces.

  My blood started to boil. All I wanted to do was to take Rarou’s two-handed sword and shove it down his throat. Restraining my des
ire to immediately draw my sword, I took myself in hand and smiled:

  — Actually, I wanted to choose you, because these, — I pointed to the three warriors in front of me, — look weak.

  The laughter instantly died down, and the Orcs took up their arms. Rarou’s face changed from being dark green to an angry swampy color. Hardly restraining himself, he made a soothing gesture to the crowd, and looked at me angrily:

  — Do you really think it's a wise decision to challenge the head of the tribe to fight? If you lose, your relationship with our tribe will turn into hatred, and everyone who is friendly with us will treat you the same way.

  — You started it first, — I told the Orc. — Why did you think that I was afraid? I was just assessing the situation.

  The Orc’s skin returned to its normal color, so I judged that he had calmed down.

  — Okay…

  He exchanged a glance with the Shaman, and he nodded back in agreement.

  — You, Newcomer, do not know the traditions of the Orcs. Only another head of the tribe can call me out to duel. But if the call is made, then I have to agree.

  You have called out the head of the tribe to a duel. The duel will be held according to the rules of the fair Orc fight. In the event of a loss, the relationship with the tribe and their allies will change to Hatred. If you win, you will attain the status of a Friend of the Tribe, and the relationship will move on to one of Trust.

  In the event that you refuse the duel, you will be awarded the status of “Coward”. You will be considered to be nothing more than a braggart and disrespectful of Orc Law. Also, the relationship with all Orcs will be changed to Hatred.