Survival Quest (The Way of the Shaman: Book #1)

by Vasily Mahanenko

  Kart... If we hadn’t become good friends during this week, we were at the very least friendly. Kart told me many interesting things about local laws, customs and habits and in the process now just levelled up in his profession (in the space of a week it went up to level 20, which made Kart veritably ecstatic). He also advised me on how to act in any particular situation and how to behave myself around Bat and his gang.

  A word about Bat. Judging by the fact that it has been four days now since anyone made any moves on me, some dirty trick of epic proportions was in the works. The happy looks shot in my direction did not bode well for me. Kart did not manage to find anything out, so all I could do was wait. I guessed that everything would become clear in due time. If Bat made an attempt to kiss me, I could try returning the 'affection' and see how he reacts to that.

  "Mahan, watch out!" I opened my eyes as Kart’s shout reached my ears and saw a mining trolley full of ore speeding towards me containing Bat, who was making a frightened face and screaming something at the top of his voice. 'If this whole contraption hits me, I'm toast.' I thought. Realizing that it would be physically impossible to get out of the way of the trolley, I stared as one charmed while my first death in the mine headed my way. What did Rine say? 'A very unpleasant experience?' I bet it's far from pleasant to get plastered across a wall by such a mammoth. Good-bye skill points...

  Suddenly with a wild scream Kart smashed himself into the side of the trolley, overturning it on its side and making the whole contraption - Kart, Bat and the trolley - tumble away from me. In a few moments this clump of mess stopped and I saw Bat getting up. And Kart? What happened to Kart? Hells! Didn't he just cause deliberate damage?

  I sprang to my feet and glanced at Bat. The fall stripped off about 80% of his Hit Points. Resilient bastard. Kart slumped on the floor nearby. He urgently needed water, otherwise he wouldn't survive. Kart's Life bar slowly but surely diminished. Fecking copper! I summoned a Spirit of Healing and ran for water.

  Skill increase:

  +5% to Intellect. Total: 70%

  Your Hit Points have been reduced by 1. Total: 49 of 50.

  'Get lost, I have no time for this!' - I waved away the message.

  I ran up to the watering hole in a few seconds, but discovered there was no bowl to get the water with. Those lowlifes thought of this too. The water seeped through my hands, so I took off my robe and, having drenched it in water, ran back. Sanitation misgivings can go hang. Life is more important.

  A large crowd of people formed around Kart. I pushed myself to the centre and saw Bat squatting by Kart and telling him something with a smirk:

  "... told you that I'll get you one day. And now no-one can say that I provoked you. Didn't lay a finger on the governor's favorite."

  Kart wheezed something in response. His Life bar was already showing only 28%. The devil take you.... I quickly poured two healings over Kart.

  Skill increase:

  +10% to Intellect. Total: 80%

  Your Hit Points have been reduced by 2. Total: 47 of 50.

  ‘Shut up! I'll switch you off to all the hells!’ I opened Kart's mouth and started to squeeze my robe straight onto his face. The water started to dribble onto Kart, but missed his mouth – it was as if some invisible sphere got in the way and the water bounced off it, missing Kart's mouth. Friggin' hell!

  "Ah, Kart's sidekick is here. Well well, my friend, you are just prolonging his suffering. And you won't get any water to him. There's nothing to put it in," giggled Bat.

  I looked at the people standing around us. Although calling them people was a bit much - just a crowd of malicious prisoners, smiling sweetly and staring at Kart.

  "Bat, give the bowl back! He'll die!"

  Bat shrugged, as if to say that we all die and if someone goes early, that's not his problem.

  "Friggin' hell, Bat! I'll give you fifty Rat pelts and bring you nine pelts a day every day for a month. For free, do you hear? Free! Give back the bowl, you bastard!"

  "My dear boy, I've been at the mine nearly as long as Kart and in that time levelled up my profession of Leatherworking to the maximum level possible when using Rat skins. I buy and take them only in order to process and sell them at a higher price, and exchanging what I'll now gain for destroying Kart for some cash would be plain stupid. The entire mine contains only three people who haven't died at least once: Kart, myself and you. So get ready — you're next. Although don't fret, there's not much point touching you until you’re at least level 2. But Kart's 11 levels are well worth it. He’s the highest level character in the mine and made such a stupid mistake. I might as well have won the lottery."

  Powerless, I summoned the last Spirit of Healing on Kart, extending his life by a few dozen seconds. I have to do something, but what???

  "Take... my... bag... I... give... you... full access... Hurry..." I heard Kart's barely audible whisper.

  I quickly grabbed his bag and tried not to get too surprised by what I saw inside. There was no time for that, although its contents were surprising enough. Firstly, the bag was an incredibly large one. It contained 40 slots. Compared to my 8 this was enormous. There were several Copper Bars, some incomprehensible devices, but the main thing was the Copper Plate! Kart had a Copper Plate! And he said that he regretted investing in Smithing! There are no coincidences in this world.

  Seeing Kart's Hit Points sinking to 35% made me unimaginably quick. I pushed everyone aside and like lightning flew to the mine, dipped the plate in the water and ran back. The water wasn't draining out of it. I had to make it! Kart must live!

  When I returned, I didn't even have to push anyone aside - people immediately moved out of the way. I noted Bat's disappointed face with satisfaction, lifted Kart's head and carefully put the plate with water to his mouth. I made it! Only 10% of Kart's Hit Points remained. He began to drink the water in feverish gulps, slowly increasing his Hit Points and probably his Energy too. That's it, he'll live!

  A few seconds went by. Kart sat up, looked at me and stayed silent. There was no need to speak, everything was clear enough.

  Suddenly the governor appeared next to us. The enormous orc towered over all the prisoners, looking at us like we were little foolish children.

  "What happened here?" his question, asked in a completely calm tone, made all the prisoners fall to the ground.

  "We were loading the ore, Serk and Brick threw it to me on the trolley, where I sorted it" Bat began to explain. "Then something happened and suddenly the trolley started to roll; the chock probably slipped out from under the wheel. I was sitting inside it as it sped towards the smithy and was about to jump off when Kart came out of nowhere and hit the trolley. We all tumbled over and I almost died. You know Kart — he never liked me: so he probably decided to kill me. But he failed. It's just as well that my total Hit Points are a good 120. He may have stripped me of 101 of them, but I survived. And Kart fell down, which happens to anyone who inflicts intentional damage on another player. We were about to watch him die, but this jerk," he nodded at me, "found a bowl somewhere and brought water. Now Kart is alive and well and I don't know what to do. The law is the law: whoever deals damage should die and here it got all messed up."

  "The law is the law. I agree," the orc waved his hand and a projection appeared in front of him.

  ***

  "You useless bags of bones, hurry up with the ore loading. He could get up and go inside the barracks any time now. It's a perfect chance to finish him off," said Bat, sitting in the trolley and looking somewhere below him. "Did you check everything? It won't miss him?"

  "It shouldn't. It's aimed directly at Mahan. Boss, are you sure we won't die? After all, this is dealing intentional damage to another player," mumbled one of Bat's two accomplices, probably Serk.

  "Calm down. We've taken the bowl of water for a reason. You'll remove the wedge, get stripped of Energy and collapse, and then Brick will revive you with the drink. Get it, Brick? Just try not getting the water to Serk, you know me. All
right, ready? Now!" ordered Bat.

  "Boss, why are you sitting in the trolley yourself?" asked Serk, preparing to knock the wedge from under the wheel.

  "I want to see him get splattered against the wall with my own eyes, see his surprise, his pain, and, of course, I want to be the first one to feel sorry for him, stroke his dead body, even shed a tear, if it came to it. One should level up in everything at once! Hit it!"

  Serk knocked the wedge out and the trolley rolled down.

  "Mahan, look out!" Kart's voice shouted and then Kart rammed into the trolley. The trolley, Kart and Bat tumbled into one big mass.

  The recording ended.

  ***

  "I didn't touch Kart, he's the one who attacked me," mumbled Bat, now looking less sure of himself under the orc's gaze.

  "The law is the law," the orc murmured thoughtfully. "For intentional dealing of damage to another player Kart is sentenced to being stripped of all his skills. Kart, get up."

  Deathly-pale, Kart rose and lifted his head, looking the orc straight in the eyes. They looked at each other like this for several seconds and then something happened that I did not expect: the governor turned his gaze away.

  "The law is the law, Kart," repeated the orc, took out his sword and looked ready to take Kart's head off.

  Damn you all. Why can't people live in peace? Why in order for some to live, others have to die?

  "Stop!" I shouted. "Kart was saving my life when he rammed the trolley. He did not inflict any direct damage to Bat, so no law was broken here. And if someone has to be stripped of skills, I'd like to take Kart's place. Kill me instead — it's my fault that Kart was set up.

  Your reputation with the Pryke Mine Guards has increased by 100 points. You are 801 points away from the status of Friendly.

  'To hell with your reputation,' I waved away the message. 'What's the point of it if even at “Friendly” status people get their heads chopped off instead of getting helped?'

  "Hm," said the orc. "A good exchange, a death for a death. But Kart broke the rules, so Kart will be the one to answer for it. As for why he did it, that's his business. Kart, are you ready?"

  "Y-yes," mumbled Kart in a doomed tone.

  The orc swung the sword and hit, and a small cloud appeared where Kart was standing, which hung there a few seconds and dissipated. The only sign of Kart was a pile of gold coins. All the prisoners stared at it, but in the presence of the governor no-one moved to pick it up.

  "If anyone touches Kart's money, I will be very upset. Kart must pick it up himself," said the orc, turned around and left.

  Suddenly Bat glowed, groaned, sinking to his knees, and started to half-moan something. A whole whirlwind surrounded him, lifting dust and hiding him from other prisoners. When the dust settled everyone saw Bat lying on his back and smiling with great satisfaction.

  "Two levels!" Just imagine! I gained two levels in Meanness on Kart's account!" Bat shouted, as he got up. "That was... It was divine." Turning around Bat saw me. "You can relax now, Mahan, we won't touch you for sure until you're at least level 4, but after that..."

  Kart is finished.... If he lost all his skills, that's it: as he himself said, in a few months he will wilt and be transferred somewhere else. And what do I do now? What's the point of levelling up in the full knowledge that in about three levels I would also be set up like this and sent for respawn? I looked at Bat's satisfied face and at the fact that he had only 19 Hit Points left. Gradually a plan began to form in my head.

  What had Bat said? "There are just three people who have never died in this mine — Kart, Bat and me". Kart's already gone and I'll follow him soon enough.... So why wait?

  I looked at Bat and began to plan my actions. Energy did not disappear immediately, but in about 2 seconds. The first strike had to come from above and from behind. The Energy will fall rapidly. The second hit must come upwards from below, so that the pick stopped over my head. By this time Energy will fall to zero and I will go down like a sack of potatoes. Correction: when hitting the second time I must lean over in order to fall forward. On top of Bat. The pick should inflict the third hit as I fell. 19 Hit Points. With the new pick I deal 19 damage, but how much armor does he have? What a pity that we don't get a strength buff with our evening meal, as it would have come in very handy right now. Bat is a Leatherworker and it’s clear that he’ll not be wearing low-level clothing, so it could block quite a lot of damage.

  Bat turned around and headed towards the barracks surrounded by his people. Right, they've already written me off. I'm an expendable resource. Well, their mistake!

  Less thinking, more doing! If Bat leaves then everything I just thought of will have been for nothing and I would never bring him down. Getting a better grip of the pick, I run after Bat. Suddenly Kiplev's song popped into my head:

  Above me silence,

  I ran up to Bat, swung up my pick and lowered it on Bat's head. Energy began to fall rapidly and the other prisoners stared at me, astonished. Just as well, less chance they'll interfere...

  Damage inflicted. 6: 19 (Hit with the Pick + Strength) - 13 (armor)

  That's some armor! But the main thing was not to stop now!

  Sky, full of rain,

  I sharply changed the direction of the pick's swing and took it back upwards. Bat was shouting something, the people around were shouting something, but none of this mattered any more. It's all finished for me, I just had to end it all for Bat as well...

  Damage inflicted. 6: 19 (Hit with the Pick + Strength) - 13 (armor)

  Energy level was at 5, my feet were giving way. Bat was falling down, this was good. I had to lean forward to make sure I fell on top of Bat. Another 6 damage wouldn’t quite do it. Hells, and I was so close...

  Rain is falling through me,

  As I was falling down, drained, I hit Bat the third time. From above. Please let it be a Critical hit!

  Damage inflicted. 6: 19 (Hit with the Pick + Strength) - 13 (armor)

  That's it. It was all pointless. He survived, the bastard!

  But there's no more pain.

  But what’s this? I was lying with my face down on something soft. It didn’t feel like the ground. Something was blocking my eyes and I had no strength to lift my head and look around. Never mind, let's see if this works...

  Damage inflicted. 1 (bite)

  Bat's body flickered and vanished. And now it really was finished. Now I could die. There were no more people in the mine who had not died. Although, no. There's me, but soon I'll be gone too. The important thing was that I already thought of what to do with Kart to prevent him wasting away.

  Suddenly I was struck with SUCH pain that I forgot all else. The world ceased to exist for me - it was replaced by pain. It tore me apart from inside, it ate away my skin and pierced me all the way through. I was pain and pain was me. I was probably screaming, wheezing, howling, but the pain would not go away; it only seemed to increase. Then it suddenly ended.

  "...I repeat the question: Mahan, what happened here?" Air! It was an effort to make my body take a breath. The voice of the governor seemed like the gentle murmuring of a stream to me now. I was still alive and no longer felt pain. This was splendid. I focused on the orc. Well, would you show some emotion at last, you bastard? I’d just killed a person and the orc was standing there asking what's happened. The snow just fell down, that's what happened.

  "Revenge. Revenge happened here. And this will happen to anyone who would touch Kart or me again."

  "You were aware of the consequences of your action?" asked the orc. What was that? Did I glimpse a shadow of satisfaction? Or was I seeing things?

  "Yes, I knew. And I already felt these consequences on myself."

  "That's good if you did."

  The orc once again grabbed the sword and plunged it into my chest. There was a quick flash of pain which seemed nothing compared to what I already went through and the world around me went black.

  That's it. Goodbye skills.

  I d
id not know how much time went by; something blinked and I found myself where I first appeared in the mine. Hello Pryke Copper Mine! I'm back. I took a step towards the barracks, but then fell to my knees and, as my jaw dropped, read the message that just appeared in front of me.

  Quest accepted: "Revenge in the Mine!" Description: Speak to the camp governor.

  Quest type: Unique.

  Attention: in connection with death and the settings of this game zone all your skill and stat levels have been nullified. Have a pleasant Game!

  I simply don't get this game! What quest?

  Chapter 5

  The Pryke Mine. First months. Part 1

  "Come Mahan, the boss is waiting for you," boomed the guard, who just a week ago had barely refrained from kicking me. Although to say that he refrained would be an exaggeration.

  Nothing changed in the administration building: it still had the same paintings and carved leather-covered furniture. ‘I wonder what's keeping this place so fresh and cool?’ I thought. ‘Is there a mage specializing in Cold spells in the mine?’

  “Have a seat, Mahan!” the orc’s heavy voice rumbled through the office.

  I sat in the armchair and couldn’t help thinking: ‘How many people actually sat down in the governor’s presence before? Or did I just happen to get lucky? For instance, the armchair was definitely not there during my last visit.’

  “So, we’ll start with the facts. First. You committed the first premeditated murder in the history of this mine. Before there were only injuries, arranged accidents, but no direct killing. Second. You tried to protect a sentient who helped you not to die. Moreover, you offered to die in his stead and self-sacrifice is very highly valued by the committee for the investigation of murders.” A committee? What committee?